The invention relates to a laser printer for x-ray films having a unique configuration and arrangement of parts having compactness attributes as well as particular ease of servicing, permitting all user service and practically all supplier service to be carried out from the front of the machine and allowing film magazines to be loaded in roomlight while the magazines are supported by the machine.
Laser printers are described in a number of patents. The most pertinent appear to be the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,260, issued Nov. 22, 1983, discloses what might be called a "straight through" printer in which the recording sheets are brought in one at a time from one side of the enclosure for the printer, and after exposure, pass out of the opposite side. Vibration isolation is provided by mounting the light source, light deflecting means and sub-scanning means on a single inner frame which is mounted by a vibration isolator on an outer frame on which the feeding and discharging means are mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,118, issued Dec. 8, 1987, discloses a xerographic printer in which a modulated laser beam is reflected from a polygon through a lens system to a photosensitive roll, which then transfers the image to a receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,533, issued Sep. 27, 1988, discloses a laser beam printer in which the housing of the processing device is below the remainder of the apparatus and is supported in a vibration-free manner. Dispensers for unexposed film of various sizes are positioned one above another below a cassette loading and unloading station in a light-tight enclosure.
International Publication WO 88/0679, published Sep. 7, 1988, and referred to at the beginning of this specification, discloses stacked film containers and transport mechanism, similar to that disclosed herein, for carrying film to a cassette loading location.
The prior art does not disclose laser printers with the unique organization of parts according to the present invention, in accordance with which compactness is achieved, all user service and practically all supplier service being carried out from the front of the machine without the necessity for moving it from its usual location. The prior art also does not teach the use of a printer having a film magazine that can be loaded with film in a roomlight environment while the magazine is supported in the printer.